1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning apparatus, and, more particularly, to a scanning apparatus and method of identifying a plurality of papers constituting a single scan job, and an apparatus and method of detecting dog-ears on each paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
As digital technology advances, many apparatuses for transmitting/receiving image information, other than mere voice information, have been developed. Especially, facsimile apparatuses for transmitting/receiving image information of paper data using a Public Switching Telephone Network (PSTN) are widely used. Facsimile apparatuses have been improved to incorporate printing and scanning apparatuses for transmitting/receiving image information over various kinds of network channels. Furthermore, brand new Office Automation (OA) apparatuses, such as a digital multifunction apparatus incorporating a facsimile apparatus, a printer, and a scanner, are widely used due to rapid advances in personal computers and a rise in diffusion rate.
These OA apparatuses can be shared over a network so that one OA apparatus can be used by a plurality of outer apparatuses (Network Scanning). In addition, OA apparatuses can convert image information acquired from scanned paper into computer files and store them (Scan-to-File), and can attach the image information from a scanner directly into an e-mail and send it.
FIG. 1 depicts a conventional scanner 100. The scanner according to the conventional art includes a paper feeder 110 on which a plurality of papers 120 are supplied, a pickup roller 130 picking up each of the supplied papers, a CCD module 150 detecting image information from each paper conveyed on a conveyor roller, and an exit roller 160 for pushing these papers out. When the scanner 100 supports a duplex mode, the paper whose image information is read by the CCD module 150 can be transferred in a direction [A] so that image information on the other side of the paper can be read, or the paper can be transferred in a direction [B] to be exited. The image information read from the CCD module 150 can be transmitted to a central processor (not shown) to be stored in a computer file or attached to an e-mail.
Image information of a plurality of papers read from the CCD module 150 can be stored as a single file. When image information of a plurality of papers is stored as a single file, a subsequent processing such as attaching to an e-mail is facilitated since image information corresponding to a respective sheet of papers constituting an identical scan job is stored in one file, instead of being processed in separate files. Thus, a user's convenience is enhanced. For example, considering a single scan job including ten pages of paper, the alignment of the respective pages can be changed and some files can be lost during subsequent processing when the image information corresponding to the respective pages is stored in ten respective files. On the other hand, when the image information corresponding to ten pages of paper is stored in a single file, the image information of the respective pages is managed as a whole. The term ‘scan job’ means scanning of a single document comprising a plurality of pages.
FIGS. 2A and 2B depict the output of processing documents constituting a plurality of scan jobs in a scanner according to the conventional art. Documents in FIG. 2A include a first scan job DOC1 comprising a first page DOC1_PG1 through a fourth page DOC1_PG4, a second scan job DOC2 comprising a first page DOC2_PG1 through a seventh page DOC2_PG7, and a third scan job DOC3 comprising a first page DOC3_PG1 through a ninth page DOC3_PG9. When the first through third scan jobs (DOC1, DOC2, DOC3) are provided on the paper feeder 110 and scanned together at the same time, all papers constituting the first through third scan jobs (DOC1, DOC2, DOC3) are processed as a single scan job and stored in a single file. This single file will include all of the papers placed together on the paper feeder 110. FIG. 2B shows an output file of processing the first through third scan jobs (DOC1, DOC2, DOC3), which are identified as a single scan job. As depicted in FIG. 2B, image information of papers identified as a single scan job is stored in a single file, which has one file header.
In conventional scanners, it is cumbersome to wait until respective scan jobs will be finished and then proceed to subsequent scan jobs since all papers provided on a paper feeder are identified as a single scan job and processed all at a time. Therefore, in the case in which all papers for a plurality of scan jobs are loaded on a paper feeder for efficiency of the scan jobs, a scanner which identifies respective scan jobs, and stores image information of papers constituting respective scan jobs separately, is required. When the scanner can identify respective scan jobs and process the scan jobs separately, efficiency is improved since all papers for a plurality of scan jobs can be provided on the paper feeder at the same time.